Paschal Donohoe (Fine Gael)

I would like to respond to the point made by Senator Ó Murchú. I understand that everyone should act in accordance with his or her own conscience and agree that the matter should be debated. The law we are talking about is not a penal one. It seeks to give a degree of recognition to people's sexuality and love for each other, over which they have no control and in which they have no choice. If we are to move forward in this country, we have to accept that the law is the law. State officials are expected to implement the law in performing their roles. Regardless of the area of public life we are talking about, surely we have learnt the lesson that if we give people the ability to opt out of implementing the law, we will do so at a great cost to us all.